Best NHL Player from Each Hockey Hotbed Country Ahead of Global Series in Sweden
Hockey is truly the world's game. Look around the NHL, and every roster will feature players from all over North America and Europe, and with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and Minnesota Wild in Sweden for the Global Series, it's a major homecoming for a lot of players on all of those teams.
The NHL in Sweden makes us miss the Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey and seeing the best players from each country facing off against one another in some of the most competitive games you'll ever see, all wrapped up in their country's flag.
Naturally, this got us thinking about the best player from eight of the biggest hockey countries represented in the league. It's equal parts considering how the players have started this season and how they've played over the past few years—with a sprinkling of reputation mixed in as well.
No matter who we list for each country here, there are at least five other players who could claim the crown for being the best from their home nation in most cases. That's what helps make the NHL so incredible. Having that breadth of talent worldwide is special, and that's why picking the best from each country is so danged difficult.
Sweden: Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
1 of 8
So many of the top players over the past 20-plus years have called Sweden home, and now many of them are in or are going to the Hall of Fame.
Case in point: Henrik Lundqvist, who was just inducted, joined more recently enshrined stars such as Henrik and Daniel Sedin, Daniel Alfredsson, Nicklas Lidström, Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin. And when you look around the league now, the stockpile of Swedish talent is sky-high, but the best of them is Canucks forward Elias Pettersson.
Pettersson's electric scoring ability and playmaking has him at the top of the points list among Swedish-born players the past few years. Seeing how he was able to pile up points last season on a Canucks team that went from ready to implode to one that developed into one of the league's top squads so far this year was incredible to see.
Pettersson's current form helped make this decision a lot easier, and that's even when you consider other Swedes around the league. But he's also been good since he entered the NHL in 2018-19, and he's only gotten better.
Other candidates: Victor Hedman, William Nylander, Mika Zibanejad, Erik Karlsson, Elias Lindholm, Linus Ullmark, Jacob Markstrom
Finland: Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers
2 of 8
It can be really easy to zero in solely on scoring when it comes to picking the best players. After all, goals and assists lead to wins more often than not, and the guys who contribute the majority of points tend to be on winning teams.
Sometimes, though, players who can pile up points can also defend their end of the ice as well as they can fill it up in the offensive zone. That's the reason Aleksander Barkov gets the call as the best player from Finland.
Since 2020-2021, the scoring battle among Finns has been between Barkov and Colorado's Mikko Rantanen, and while Rantanen has registered more points (284 to 240), the points per-game rates between the two are really close. Rantanen scored 1.27 points per game, whereas Barkov is at 1.21. In that same amount of time, however, Barkov has been a superior defensive player and won the Selke Trophy in 2020-2021 as the league's best defensive forward.
It's beyond impressive to watch both of these players own the ice for their respective teams, but while Rantanen's scoring is impressive, Barkov's is also extremely good—and he's shutting down opponents while he's at it.
And we haven't even gotten into how good goalie Juuse Saros is either. But, we have to pick one and that's it.
Other contenders: Mikko Rantanen, Juuse Saros, Sebastian Aho, Roope Hintz, Miro Heiskanen, Patrik Laine
Germany: Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
3 of 8
Admittedly, there aren't many players to choose from out of Germany, but the ones to pick from are really good. And none are anywhere close to the level Leon Draisaitl is on.
He has won an MVP and been a perennial Art Ross candidate as the league's top scorer. The Oilers score tons of goals, and Draisaitl is a major source of them since he entered the league in 2014-15.
The 28-year-old had 128 points last year, and four times he's had 100 or more points in a season. He scores by the truckload on the power play and at even strength, and whether he's playing center on his own line or creating an opposing goalie's nightmare playing on Connor McDavid's wing, all he does is fill up the net.
What will be fun to watch is how Germany evolves as a hockey country in the years to come. Draisaitl is the first big star, but each year it seems there's a new player out of Deutschland making waves. After seeing the Germans win silver at the IIHF World Championships over the summer, the improvement is more than noticeable.
Draisaitl might not be the reason Germany is improving, but he's its first huge star on the world stage and leading the way.
Other candidates: Tim Stützle, Moritz Seider, Philipp Grubauer, JJ Peterka
Switzerland: Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
4 of 8
We just talked about how Germany is on the rise in hockey internationally, but the country that started breaking the mold first was Switzerland. Think of all the times the Swiss would pull an upset during the Olympics, World Juniors or World Championships and you'd hear the announce crew talk about how pesky the Swiss are or highlight the various high-end players they have.
Now they're in the NHL, and the best of them is Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi.
Cracking through as a defenseman can be hard enough, but it's a lot easier when you have the puck carrying ability and passing skills of Josi.
Josi won the Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman in 2020 and came in second for the award in 2022. It was that latter year he put up 96 points (23 goals and 73 assists) and let the rest of the world know he wasn't just a skilled defender with solid offensive ability. That he made the transition seamlessly from playing in Shea Weber's shadow to leading the way in Nashville was beyond impressive.
Know what else is impressive? The Switzerland players who slot in just behind Josi for the top spot here.
Other contenders: Kevin Fiala, Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, Nino Niederreiter
Russia: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
5 of 8
Surely this won't be controversial.
The number of elite players out of Russia over the past 30 or so years is truly incredible. Just the players over the past five years or so who you'd have to consider strongest for the top spot here is also incredible.
Whether it's prolific scorers or elite goaltenders, there are so many guys who could slot in at No. 1 without there being too much of an argument. But the deciding factor here for Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was the stats, the hardware and the reputation.
Vasilevskiy's won two Stanley Cups for the Lightning and was the Conn Smythe Trophy winner for one of them in 2021. He also won the Vezina Trophy in 2019 and has a career save percentage of .919. From 2016-2017 through 2020-2021 he was a finalist for the Vezina each season. And while Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin are incredible Russian goalies themselves, they're looking up at Vasilevskiy.
This spot could belong to any one of Nikita Kucherov, Alexander Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin, Evgeni Malkin, Andrei Svechnikov, Shesterkin or Sorokin...but it's Vasilevskiy who gets the nod here because of his current elite skill and list of accomplishments.
Other candidates: Nikita Kucherov, Alexander Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin, Evgeni Malkin, Igor Shesterkin, Andrei Svechnikov, Ilya Sorokin, Sergei Bobrovsky, Alexandar Georgiev, Pavel Buchnevich, Vladimir Tarasenko
Czechia: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins
6 of 8
It's a little unfair for the Czech players not named David Pastrnak here. He has been so good that he's light-years in front of his fellow countrymen.
Pastrnak is a goal-scoring machine in the NHL. He netted 61 goals last season, and he's scored 30 or more goals in a season six times in his career. Even though he's been in the shadow of Bruins teammates Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand for most of the early years of his career, he's emerged as the lead guy the past few seasons thanks to filling the net with pucks.
Pastrnak is one of the elite offensive producers in the NHL, and that's when compared to players from countries that aren't Czechia. Next to his countrymen, there's no comparisons to be made—and he's got some really talented fellow Czechs, too.
Now that Pastrnak has added the ability to make plays to go along with his ability to snipe shots from anywhere in the offensive zone, he's about to become a lot more dangerous for opposing defenders to deal with.
Other candidates: Tomas Hertl, Martin Necas, Ondrej Palat, Pavel Zacha, Karel Vejmelka, Vitek Vanecek, Petr Mrazek
Canada: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
7 of 8
Connor McDavid's career has been impressive enough on its own. Watching him dominate the NHL with his speed, playmaking, goal-scoring and hockey IQ makes for an other-worldly experience. It's mind-blowing to see a player able to move as quickly as he does and do what he can do with the puck at that speed and make it look effortless.
What's even more impressive is when you stack up McDavid's numbers and overall game against other players from Canada. Think of how good guys like Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner, Brad Marchand, Brayden Point, Jonathan Huberdeau and so many more skaters are.
And that's not even taking into consideration some of the goalies like Marc-Andre Fleury or defensemen like Cale Makar, Kris Letang, Dougie Hamilton, Morgan Rielly or Drew Doughty. Crosby has them all beat and rather handily.
Consider this: Since 2020-2021, McDavid has 394 points in 231 games, and MacKinnon is next behind him among Canadian players with 284 in 199 games. That's 100 more points in 32 more games played. It's beyond impressive, and MacKinnon's numbers are great. McDavid is the best there is.
Other contenders: Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby, Mitch Marner, Steven Stamkos, Brad Marchand, Cale Makar, Marc-Andre Fleury
United States: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
8 of 8
The competition among American players is pretty stiff, but it's Auston Matthews who rises above them all.
Matthews' elite goal scoring sets him apart from his American contemporaries. His shot is unrivaled, and the way he can pile up goals game to game puts him in elite company among all players across the league, not just those from the 50 states.
Matthews has been the top goal scorer among Americans since he entered the league, and the only player preventing him from being the best overall point-getter since 2016-2017 is Patrick Kane. Scoring goals is what makes Matthews more dangerous than any of the other players who could make a run at being the best American player.
Matthews is a top-five player in the NHL, and unfortunately for United States fans, he's the only American in that discussion right now.
Yes, there are great goalies and defensemen from the U.S., but as good as some of them are, they're not on the kind of tier Matthews is among his peers.
Other contenders: Matthew Tkachuk, Patrick Kane, JT Miller, Brady Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, Adam Fox, Kyle Connor, Jack Hughes, Quinn Hughes, Joe Pavelski, Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Thatcher Demko, Jeremy Swayman, John Gibson
.jpg?w=480 "Bills Broncos Football")
.jpg?w=600 "New Peter Schrager Mock Draft 📝")
.jpg?w=600 "Allen Wanted to Keep Bone 😅")
